TheHearpe.com

part 1














Our premise and setting | Our Characters | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | Proposed music for The Hearpe | Nancy Wilson | Poems and more, soon.....





1.

FADE IN FROM BLACK:

OUTER SPACE ALWAYS DAY

FADE IN AUDIO:

“Procession/The Story In Your Eyes” by THE MOODY BLUES

The hum of a synthesizer grows slowly in intensity

We see the universe- galaxies, constellations of stars and super novas- Existing endlessly in space- timeless, formless Unfathomable … Immeasurable

DISSOLVE TO: THE EARTH

There are desolate landscapes devoid of foliage-

Deserts… oceans… ice formations

A series of short shots with nothing but blowing sand

and rippling waters. We hear only the wind…

AUDIO breaks suddenly with human voices:

DES-O-LAAAA-TION !!!

A bolt of lightning flashes across the dark screen

CRAA- AA -AA- AACK !!!

While thunder rolls and resonates it is inter-cut with a live organic cell. The nucleus throbs and pulsates in shots that lengthen

CREAAAAA- TION !!!

The rains fall upon the good Earth

-Five tones chime and with each shot there is more foliage-

We are finally in forest of dense trees and brush

Amid a plethora of forest sounds

Through the forest comes the sound of distant drumming

A similar response replies from the other side of the screen

The tempo quickens, as the drums beat back and forth

COMMUNICAAAA-TION !!!

AUDIO PAUSES

 

 

2.

EXT. A WILD BOAR ROAMS IN THE FOREST DAY

A wild boar roams into a forest clearing sniffing for food, he is suddenly startled by the beating of drums in a nearby grove of bushes

With a grunt he runs off, as a handful of primitive men, with spears and clubs, run after him

“PROCESSION” AUDIO RESUMES-

drum rhythms and the grunting of the hunters and the boar

The unfortunate boar reaches the other end of the clearing

and another burst of drumming turns him aside again

More hunters pursue him from a third direction,

the events repeat and hunters close in from all sides

There is then a short standoff between the snarling boar and the hunters who warily approach as the circle closes in

“Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah….UGH !! Ah-Ah- Ah- Ah… SNORT !!…

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah… Ah-Ah… Ah- Ah……”

Stones bounce off the boar- The hunters circle closes- Their spears are raised…..

“Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh … AHHHHHH- AHHHHHHHHHHHH……!!!!!”

FADE OUT “PROCESSION” AUDIO TRACK

EXT THE HUNTERS RETURN TO CAMP THROUGH THE WOODS

The boar hangs upside down from a stick carried by four of the tribe members- DEE, MEADE, HUN, FIRE

They talk among themselves- barely unintelligible mumbling

DOM and WIND lead the group

Two hunters joke between themselves and laugh-

DOM turns and scolds them:

DOM

No Talking now!!

The hunters arrive back at their camp-

DISSOLVE TO: smoke and ashes rise in front of a full moon

 

 

3.

EXT. DRUID TRIBE SEATED AROUND THE CAMPFIRE NIGHT

The boar is on a stick suspended over the flames

while Druid tribe members eat.

They chew on bones and lick their fingers,

While they look around at one another and grin

DOM

Mead! More mead!…

No cook mine so much!

RAIN

Little DOVE, sweet girl

take some mead for DOM….

(whispers)

You must do things…

so he will see you

FAY

I -I take!

Rain pulls the tray away

RAIN

No FAY- this work for wooman…

FAY

I just want help Dove…

RAIN

(whispers again)

He should hunt boar- not men!

As the women laugh, Dove takes the tray and some meat to Dom

The tribe is grouped in families- Some children finish eating and begin to play- Dove sits down with her friends

DOVE

I can tell it warmer now-

We not sit so close to fire..

LABAH

And hunters bring so much mead…

JUDAH

Days seem longer now too,

4.

SUN

Days ARE longer now-

I find way to tell.

I put rocks in circle and…

CHINOOK cuts him off and jokes over HUN’S belly

CHINOOK

Yeah, yeah- now time to get fat…

Hun get fat like his wooman!

Pregnant LABAH sighs exasperated

RAIN

Chinook! Is YOUR daughter!

Chinook then turns to JUDAH who is also pregnant:

CHINOOK

So… which wooman be first to give

strong hunter to our Druid tribe?

Judah of Peese clan,

or my Labah- of Warble clan?

JUDAH

What if babies are girls?

Can they not then bear more hunters?

LABAH

Yeah… You men think of that!

And all we do for you!

WIND

(aside to Judah)

Do not worry. Baby is OURS- no?

We BOTH love and care for him

AHMAN claps his hands together as he stands:

AHMAN

Listen to me! Now we

thank gods for food …

DOM

Ahman… My men tired- children restless-

must we have ritual now? Hunters

kill this boar for us,

Not gods you talk of…

Why you no thank US?

5.

CHINOOK

My son right… When we pray to gods-

may be make THEM happy…

But no change in OUR lives….

We still must hunt food….

These weapons! Spears… and axes…

they keep other tribes off this land!

THEY give us life! Not some

… thing… we no see!

AHMAN

Yeah yeah- We thank hunters for mead

and dangers they face in woods…

But you Dom… and you Chinook…

did no make this boar… or give it life.

DOM and DEE look at each other- DOM rolls his eyes

AHMAN

Calling to Gods to thank them

will no take long… I am

Chief Priest of Druids-

and priests still decide for tribe… Not hunters…

The other Priests nod their heads

Ahman then raises his arms toward the sky- while the others show varying interest in his prayer

AHMAN

Great Spirit of sky and forest

who form this world

who make rain fall-

who make trees for our huts-

and plants and animals we eat…

We thank you for warm days-

when living is… easy-

Thank you for this boar…

That fill our bellies

give us more food- Keep us safe…

Make our spears fly true

and our hunters fast. Give us

strength to keep other tribes

away from Druid camp! Druid land!

The hunters cheer the last part..

He sits again and MERRY hands him a bowl

6.

AHMAN

No, no… can eat no more…

They laugh- Some of the tribe get up and go separate ways- The PEESE and CHINOOK families remain seated together

JUDAH

Ahman- when you talk of Great Spirit,

you always say ’he‘- HE did this

HE made that… What if Great Spirit

is wooman?

The other women concur- “Yeah …Yeah… a WOOMAN…..”

AHMAN

No I no believe this- Great Spirit

very strong… Like man…

or he no be great- huh?

JUDAH

You wrong- You men kill food,

but we strong too! It wooman

who first give you YOUR life…

And mother boar gave HIM life!

LABAH

Judah right!

She turns to HUN

LABAH

I have my baby, not you…

you only fat… cause you eat too much…

She pokes him in the belly and the others laugh-YUDOC stands

YUDOC

I believe in Great Spirit,

but there other spirits too:

They not men OR women…

We feel them in our bodies…

Spirit of sun warm us-

make us feel strong-

spirit in river cool us ..

I seen spirits of animal make men go crazy when they bite-

Spirit of wind can no decide-

cools us on hot days, then

blow our huts down next day…

7.

JUDAH

(hugging WIND)

That not spirit of my WIND.

He BUILD our hut…

keep me WARM when it cold…

WIND

Yeah, hot even- when we.. when we..

He motions with his hands- The others all laugh

YUDOC

I know mostly about spirits in plants…

Use them to heal. This way, I think

gods give us what we need-

AHMAN

There may be gods AND goddess…

But we must pray to them…

Chinook not think our lives change…

but I think they do- Our huts stronger- and we no fight with other tribes

Like when I was young man…

Dove turns to Labah and Judah making

talking motions with her thumb and forefingers

DOVE

Here go my father again…

Ahman turns to the Peese and Warble sons sitting together

AMAN

One day my sons, Druids will soar

as eagles- live in huts of glory. Cold rain not soak us

and put our fires out.

We will have much food-

As much as we can eat-

Beasts of the forest go away- Tribes not fight and we can

tear down our walls and fence

And guards will sleep at night

CHINOOK

Yeah- those good thing to hope for Ahman.

But my sons and I not throw away

our spears waiting for this day!

8.

He picks up his spear and waves it- his sons do the same

DOM and DEE

Yeah… Yeah... Yeah…

DOM wipes boar’s blood from his spear and licks his fingers- when he puts it down, SUN paints with blood on a rock -

CHINOOK

(to Rain)

There your son again, putting

blood on rocks- May be we got

one too many children.

RAIN

Do not hate youngest son- he no

great hunter like DOM or DEE,

but he strong in other ways…

CHINOOK

Bah. Strong in other ways…

Same thing woomen said- Some day,

when other tribe take our land away,

they see these rocks and say that

Druids waste time here… painting!

EXT BY THE CAMPFIRE SAME NIGHT

Dove learns to play the flute from Yudoc-he puffs on a pipe

YUDOC

My father make first flute

from pipe… like this-

He gently picks up the flute, gives it a trill

YUDOC

This last flute he make

Before he die. It his best …

DOM and DEE pass by them

DEE

There that DOVE-girl

Chinook want you with-

Now she play Yudoc’s noisy thing…

you want to hear THAT

all night long?

9.

DOM

No- It no good- but Ahman say

this noise may scare wolf away…

DEE

May be bring other tribe too!

Ahman want our clan joined to his-

then he tell YOU what to do

There other women to choose…

INT HUN’S HUT SAME NIGHT

LABAH

Hunny, I hope baby come soon-

So your son strong

When cold weather come again-

HUN

I always tell you- No call

me ‘Hunny’! other hunters

laugh at me… I am HUN!

LABAH

But I worry for you on hunt-

big cats and wolves must not

take my baby’s father from him!

MOTH, their young deaf boy carries his kitten to Hun, seeking approval. Hun tries to ignore him and then sneezes

HUN

Moth! Take cat away.

It make me shooo!

LABAH

You know he can no hear you!

You must show him- he must see !

HUN

I hope new baby can hear

what I tell him

Hun steps outside the door and feeds a few captive goats:

HUN

Animals in camp much work!

I sick of shoveling shing!

 

 

10.

EXT BACK AT THE DRUID CAMPFIRE NIGHT

Wind and Judah embrace

JUDAH

I tell it warmer now too-

we don’t hug so much..

WIND

We no have to hug to stay warm..

It natural- You should know

JUDAH

(laughing)

I only tease you, my love..

WIND

We no hug as much- but I glad

when days warm. Better for you

And baby … I got best wooman

in Druid tribe to have my child…

They kiss again

JUDAH

I like warm days too-

Ah, Wind- my strong Wind- you like

Ahman. Will be great leader

for tribe when he get old.

WIND

Ahhh- He old now !

They giggle and embrace again the evening wears on and the camp is quieter- Dom and Dee arrive back at the campfire-

AHMAN

Chinook- who guard camp tonight?

CHINOOK:

MEADE at camp door

Cornstalk in far moor

My sons guard later…

DOM! You wake hunters at dawn!

We must get up early for hunt…

Tribe that get up early catch boar!

11.

WIND

Now warm days here, I think we need

TWO guards in far moor- beasts of

forest out- look for food…

FIRE

And other tribe may want our land!

AHMAN

Beasts a danger my sons-

but we no have trouble with

other tribes for long time now…

let hope it stay that way!

Dom talks to Dee as they head for their hut:

DEE

Dom- I guard far moor last time-

it now your turn!

DOM

You just scared- like little fraid cat!

Wind and Fire are still at the fireside

WIND

Sleep well young FIRE-

tomorrow you guard..

FIRE

YOUNG Fire?! Well my brother..

You no so much older…

WIND

Plenty old to teach you some things…

FIRE

Not so old I can’t teach YOU too!

WIND slaps FIRE on the back as they and the others rise

WIND

May be you right- go to sleep now!

Yudoc is left alone playing his flute next to the fire

At the camp entrance- the guard- Meade- peers into the dark forest of night sounds

The music blends with the howling of a wolf in the distance

DISSOLVE TO: a bright morning sun

12.

EXT MEADOW OUTSIDE THE CAMP THE NEXT MORNING

AUDIO: FADES IN on lively flute music

Mendlessohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream- “Fairy‘s March“

A Butterfly flits across the sun , then comes to rest on a leaf with it’s wings spread out in the sunshine- music slows

A small hand reaches out to grasp it- Behind is the excited wide-eyed face of young MOTH

A quick musical trill note sounds suddenly and the butterfly flits away- the boy then gives chase to lively music

The butterfly reaches a small creek, and leaves the boy on the bank- Labah catches Moth and they go back to the group

Accompanied by several hunters and Fay, the women and children pick peas and berries growing outside of the camp

They have clay pots to carry the food and to gather water from the river-

FAY

Oh- What a beautiful morning!

Not one cloud in sky!

DOVE

And so calm- so …peaceful.

LABAH

Hunters say they find boar nest,

bring more mead today

JUDAH

Wind want to raise boars

in camp, like goats.

LABAH

My Hunny no like that- he say

too many animal in camp now.

DOVE

Are boars a danger?

FAY

I no want them near…

I eat only fruit- if it

keep boars out of camp!

They come upon an apple tree

13.

JUDAH

No more apples on this tree-

all picked!

Fay points up

FAY

No- Look there!

How bout them apples?

JUDAH

Yeah.. But high up!

They fall soon. Just wait!

FAY

No too high for me!

I old- but can

still climb tree.

He goes to the trunk and starts to climb

DOVE

Do not fall!

The others walk on- They pass SUN and his friend. Sun draws in the dirt with a stick

LABAH

There my young brother Sun-

Scratching in dirt again.

He never with hunters

JUDAH

Maybe he be good man for Dove…

LABAH

No- He no good- not brave-

My parents name him Sun

only cause he youngest son,

They no want to think of real name…

The girls laugh

DOVE

Sun cute- but Ahman

want me with Dom

But he no even look at me-

and Dee shoo him when I near

14.

JUDAH

There is skinny MEADE.

He got no wooman

LABAH

My brothers say he like men

Just like Fay- I no know…

Meade never talk to me…

DOVE

Why he named MEADE ?

JUDAH

Cause he hunt for mead I think…

LABAH

No, no… His real name Arpa-

DOVE

Arpa?

LABAH

Yeah, When he small he look like

his pa- so they call him Arpa.

He Arpa until day he stole mead

from us- It big joke now.

DOVE

So now he man named for food!

Dove and Judah laugh while Labah looks a little bit annoyed

LABAH

Dove, I know you named

for birds that coo,

but what your clan name mean?

DOVE

What?

LABAH

Peese clan… What THAT mean?

DOVE

(irritated)

I do not know … why?

 

15.

LABAH

Then what we pick today?

What in your bag now little Dove?

Dove reaches into her bag and replies holding out some peas:

DOVE

Peas?

LABAH

(Glibly)

So may be your CLAN named for food!

Labah takes Moth and walks away from the other two

DOVE

Well, what wrong with her?

JUDAH

Who know? You know how she get.

I talk to her…

Judah catches up to Labah and they begin to pick again as they discuss Dove’s prospects of finding a mate

JUDAH

Why is Dove still not married?

She wait for your brothers?

They only think about hunting

LABAH

Mama say she must show them

more favor. Chinook want grandsons.

He tell Dom and Dee they must pick soon.

Priests want our clans to join

Now Dove only way this happen

They arrive back at the apple tree

JUDAH

So Fay- no as easy as you think!

FAY

Almost have them!

He totters on some branches while the others sit in the shade, under the apple tree

Meanwhile, Dove walks past Sun and his friend again.

16.

SUN

DOVE! Dove- here!

DOVE

Not now Sun- have no time…

SUN goes back to showing his friend a primitive sundial

he has made with some stones

SUN

When sun cross sky,

shadow moves around circle-

It here when sun came up to-day

-be here when it go down

Circle bigger each day..

that mean sun in sky more each day-

SUN‘S FRIEND

What difference that make?

sun come up- we hunt and work-

When it go down, we sleep-

What more we need know?

EXT FAY IN APPLE TREE DAY

Fay is in the apple tree. As he reaches for an apple, a gust of wind blows, the bough he’s on breaks, and he falls

EXT DOVE DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE DAY

Dove hears a few strains of harp music coming from the woods on the other side of the creek

She tilts her head at the strange music and peers into the woods- she sees nothing and then hears screaming

EXT UNDER THE APPLE TREE DAY

Judah calls to a fallen, unconscious Fay

Labah screams, while Moth is oblivious and eating an apple

Sun and his friend arrive, and then Dove

Sun examines Fay and shakes his head

EXT DEEP IN THE WOODS THE MEN HUNT AGAIN DAY

The hunters again have their drums and spears and rocks

They bait the clearing with a dead mouse

 

17.

DOM

Now- NO TALKING!

DOM points them in directions and they separate by twos

On their way to their ambush positions Meade and Cornstalk come upon a big cat at rest- They back off in fear

Dom and Dee come upon and startle a roe, that runs off

Dom chases it, then unsuccessfully hurls his spear at it

DEE

No use brother-

A roe too fast for us…

The boar enters the clearing and the same ambush sequence occurs as in the opening- The drums divert the boar and the men close in. But this time, because the two pairs of hunters are late, the boar escapes the ambush circle and runs across a small creek

The hunters then run into another clearing to find the CELTIC TRIBE standing over the dead boar, with a spear in it

The Celtics number roughly the same as our Druid hunters

DOM

It is Celtics!

AXE

Why you Druids cross creek?

We say before. This side

our land! That side yours…

Dom looks around at the other Druids- then answers

DOM

We chase boar from our land…

It belong to us.

AXE

You chase it- but it on our

side now- That make it

Celtic boar!

DOM

Then we fight for it!

Some of you be as dead

as boar is now!

18.

WIND

(aside to Dom)

We must not fight over this

Celtic hunters many.

only hurt us all…

(pauses)

May be they take challenge..

You never beaten at spear throw…

DOM

Yeah- that good idea

(he turns back to Celtics)

I have idea- You Celtics say

you best at spear throw, no?

They look at one another and agree

DOM

Then Celtics pick hunter,

and we pick hunter

Who ever throw spear longer-

his tribe keep boar!

The Celtics talk among themselves

AXE

Yeah- We take challenge

for Celtics BEST at

spear throw- hunter who throw

spear longer-

his tribe keep boar!

Me, Axe, throw for Celtics!

DOM

And me, Dom, throw for Druids!

Dom is then beaten by Axe in a contest of spear throwing

And the DRUIDS lose the rights to the contested boar

AXE

Let all forest know!

Best Druid can no beat Axe-

Of mighty Celtic tribe!

The Celtics cheer while Dom and the Druids smolder

On the way back to camp, the embarrassed DRUID hunters brag

Over the next encounter with their foes

19.

DEE

You still throw best- would have

won- but wind blew then

FIRE

It only challenge

If we must fight them

we will win then…

DOM blows up and throws his spear into a tree in anger

DOM

THEN?! I want fight them NOW!

Dee goes to retrieve the spear and the others start walking

WIND

(laughs to Fire)

I no want be THAT tree!

(They laugh)

FIRE

He should throw as hard

against Celtics!

POV- The big cat watches the Druids from the brush.

We hear a low growl.

EXT DRUID CAMPFIRE SITE DAY

The hunters arrive back at the camp to find many of the tribe gathered around mourning.

JUDAH

Oh Wind… Wind. Some thing

terrible happen. Fay fall

from tree.. He dead! He dead!

DOM

(To the hunters)

Judah mean SHE dead!

So what? Now one less

mouth to feed…

Some of the hunters laugh- some of the tribe are angry

DEE

Yeah yeah… SHE lazy…

no work much! NEVER hunt!